Victory Rally in Baltimore—
A protest planned for May 2 was declared a “victory rally” after the Baltimore’s top prosecutors filed charges against the officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray.
On Saturday, thousands of marchers in Baltimore hit the streets to celebrate. State Attorney Marilyn Mosby charged the officers with felonies ranging from assault to murder after determining that Gray’s arrest was both illegal and unjustified.
He encouraged citizens to continue demonstrations in a peaceful manner throughout the city.
The Gray’s family lawyer, Billy Murphy, said the charges are merely the beginning.
“The overwhelming number of people who have protested over the days didn’t know Freddie personally, but the people of Philadelphia, New York, Cincinnati, and in numerous cities and towns are expressing their outrage that there are too many Freddie Grays.” Murphy said.
Western Medicine Wipes out Rubella—
On April 30, after 15 years and over 100,000 million vaccines, North and South America have eradicated rubella.
Rubella, also known as German Measles, only causes a mild illness in children. But when it is caught by pregnant women, rubella puts their babies at high risk of being born with or developing serious defects. These include heart problems, blindness and learning disabilities. The virus can also cause miscarriages.
Around the world rubella has a presence in less developed areas. Approximately 120,000 babies each year catch a serious form of the disease. Most cases occur in Africa and Southeast Asia.
The Pan American Health organization set a goal to eradicate rubella within the first 10 years of the twenty-first century. The last case that was reported erupted in the Argentines in 2009 said Carissa Etienne, PAHO’s director.
“The fight against rubella has paid off with what I believe will be one of the important Pan American public health achievements of the twenty-first century. With rubella under our belt, now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and finish the job of eliminating measles as well,” Etienne said.
The PAHO plans to pursue the eradication of measles in the Americas within the next year.
Death Toll in Nepal Rising—
Relief workers are continuing to uncover bodies from the wreckage of the devastated Nepal. More than 14,000 people have been reported as injured. Thousands are still missing. The government released that 130,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed and about 10,000 more demolished.
The Nepalese government is stepping up relief efforts. Nepal has exempted import taxes on some supplies and materials to keep up with the increasing flow of relief materials.
“Hospitals are overflowing, water is scarce, bodies are still buried under the rubble and people are still sleeping in the open. This is a perfect breeding ground for disease,” said UNICEF Deputy Representative Rownak Khan.
Organizing supplies, materials and efforts has become priority in the area in order to ensure those in need are served. The country is still recovering.
MAY DAY VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE—
May 1 protests in Seattle resulted in three injured Seattle Police Department officers as throngs of demonstrators marched through Seattle. The march for worker and immigrant rights supposedly turned violent when protesters began throwing wrenches and rocks at police. SPD responded by returning flash bangs and pepper bombs to subdue crowds.
Shortly after, Seattle Police Captain Chris Fowler, said, “This is no longer demonstration; this has turned into a riot.” But videos show that SPD possibly incited violence after forcefully breaking marching lines.
To precent the situation from escalating into more violence, police pushed the crowds up Pine Street and moved them into the Seattle Central College plaza. Footage shows rioters bashing in the window of a Kiro Radio vehicle parked adjacent to the college.
Fifteen men and one woman were arrested and are under investigation of obstruction, failure to disperse and assault after the events Friday.
Tesla Releases Big Battery—
On May 1, the car manufacturer, Tesla, announced their creation of a battery that can power homes and businesses as part of their efforts to expand beyond their reach of automobiles.
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Motors, announced that the firm would begin a new chapter building batteries that can store solar energy to serve as backup systems during emergencies. This technology would permit consumers to go off grid and be connected in remote areas. The company plans to ship their product to installers as early as this summer.
Earlier this year Musk promised that this move could change the “entire energy infrastructure of the world.”
Called the Powerwall, the system will sell for around $3,000. The company expects a slow start but is confident that, like the battery, the benefits of the system will eventually reap big rewards. One reward would be reducing the need for fossil fuels.
“Just as the Internet changed the way we use information so renewable sources, like wind and solar, are changing the way we make and use energy—and electricity storage is an important part of that change,” said Friends of the Earth campaigner, Alasdair Cameron.
